I'm back today to report that yesterday ended up being a little rough. I got home from work, walked by his now empty room and I guess reality set in. I really felt it again. Although I think I am still handling it better this time around, I still had that same pain. I remember that it just took some time for me to adjust last time and I figure time will help this time as well.

I am glad to hear that posting has helped you, and it seems you are really handling it well. Do you know why that is? Aside from the fact that you gone through this before, how is this time easier? And will you be okay when the permanent separation happens, like marriage to someone you just can't get along with? A wife can be the best thing for your son, yet the worst for you. That is what happened to me. I have a daughter in law who I just can't understand and who has made it impossible for us to get along. I had never expected that.
But any insights you have are appreciated.

I can't really explain why it has been easier. I can speculate that maybe I think my son has matured and I realize that he can take care of himself. While that eases my anxiety about him, I still miss him horribly and I suppose only time will help fix that. I still catch myself staring at his empty room reminiscing about when he was a child and wishing we could do it all over again. So far, his girlfriend has been great. She invited us over for dinner last weekend. (She didn't cook it, her grandma brought dinner over to their apartment) She is really close to my wife and that is good.

I guess we have been lucky so far. My advice for you is to let time help you. Be patient with this change. I received this advice years ago from friends who had been through this. If you look at my other posts from 2013, you will see there was another dad who was going through a similar situation. Knowing that really helped as did our brief conversations.

Hang in there and keep in touch!